Faculty Quality Leaders
The quality, service, and interaction between students and faculty are essential to the success of today's MBA programs. This is especially true for an online MBA, such as the Georgia WebMBA, where quality is measured by the strength, commitment, and consistency of its faculty. To ensure consistent quality and a high-touch learning experience, the Georgia WebMBA relies on Course Leads – our seasoned veteran faculty – who work with other faculty on designing courses, assuring learning, and providing ongoing mentoring. Our Course Leads have taught in the program for many years and know who our students are and what they need to succeed in today's business setting.
Robin A. Cheramie, Ph.D.
Associate Professor
Dept. of Management & Entrepreneurship
Michael J. Coles College of Business
Kennesaw State University
770-423-6097
rcheram1@kennesaw.edu
WMBA 6000 - Human Behavior in Organizations
WMBA 6000 is a graduate level introductory course to organizational behavior designed for both the entry level and high level manager with any functional responsibility. This course explores some of the ways in which human behavior affects how one manages and leads and ultimately how it affects individual, group, and organizational performance. Students will apply concepts to case studies, their own companies and industry leaders. By the end of the course, students will be able to identify key organizational behavior issues and apply practical solutions to improve organizational effectiveness.
Sanjay Gupta, Ph.D., CPA, CMA
Professor, Dept. of Accounting & Finance
Langdale College of Business
Valdosta State University
229-293-6061
Fax: 229-249-2706
sgupta@valdosta.edu
WMBA 6010 - Managerial Accounting
Managerial Accounting is designed for both entry level and high level managers with any functional responsibility. The course covers a wide range of topics that emphasize the use of both internal and external data to enhance the decision-making skills of managers. Concepts covered include an overview of the management accounting function within the organization, cost management and cost accumulation systems, planning and control systems, use of historical data in forecasting costs, and the use of accounting information in management decision-making. Case studies will be used to enhance students' critical thinking, problem solving, and communication skills. Students will apply concepts to a variety of companies using problems and case studies. By the end of the course, students will be able to understand and apply accounting information in management decision making functions.
Dr. Minna Rollins
Assistant Professor of Marketing
Dept. of Marketing & Real Estate/Richards College of Business
University of West Georgia
WMBA 6030 Global and International Business Strategy
Global and International Business Strategy is designed for both entry level and high level managers with any functional responsibility. The course is designed to explain to students the growing opportunities and potential risks in doing business across national boundaries. The nature and economic role of the global business, including the impact of legal, political, social, and cultural variables are examined for their influence upon business performance and managerial activity. Students will apply concepts to case studies, country report, and other assignments. By the end of the course, students will have a truly global approach in identifying, analyzing, and solving problems.
Jiaqin Yang, Ph.D.
Professor of Management
Georgia College & State University
478-445-2570
Fax: 478-445-0602
jiaqin.yang@gcsu.edu
Website
WMBA 6100 - Operations Management
Operations Management is designed for both new and high level managers with any functional managerial responsibility – which requires both administrative and analytical skills. The course will cover a wide range of topics such as: operations strategy, process selection, capacity planning, facility location and layout planning, job design, and total quality management. Students will apply concepts to all possible operational issues and challenges in their daily function. By the end of the course, students will be able to identify strategic decisions in operations management; select appropriate process for a given production system, employ available techniques in firm's long-range capacity planning and layout design, and apply all related OM approaches in management decision making process.
Barbara A. Price, Ph.D.
Professor, Quantitative Analysis
Dept. of Finance & Quantitative Analysis
College of Business Administration
Georgia Southern University
baprice@georgiasouthern.edu
WMBA 6040 - Managerial Decision Analysis
Managerial Decision Analysis is designed for entry level through high level managers who either provide input to or are responsible for managerial decisions based on solid logic and analysis. The course presents an introduction to the statistical and management science techniques that are most commonly used by managers in both the public and private sectors. We build the course providing tools you may find useful for your team project which may either be a consulting project addressing a real issue in a not-for-profit or for-profit entity or focus on a current topic of interest to a segment of the business community. By the end of the course, students will be able to understand the role of quantitative methods in the decision-making process; demonstrate the ability to visualize, present, analyze and interpret business data; develop an understanding of the application of quantitative analysis to the solution of management problems; and utilize spreadsheet analysis as a tool in analyzing data and developing a solution/recommendation to a problem situation.
Jackie Eastman, Ph.D
Associate Professor of Marketing
Department of Management, Marketing, and Logistics
College of Business Administration
Georgia Southern University
912-478-1870
jeastman@georgiasouthern.edu
WMBA 6050 - Strategic Marketing
WMBA 6050 is a graduate level introductory course to marketing designed for both the entry level and high level manager with any functional responsibility. The purpose of the course is to familiarize students with the marketing concept and to help students understand how the marketing concept (and a firm's market orientation) influences various decisions made by managers in a firm. Marketing management involves the coordination and control of the firm's marketing functions in a dynamic operating environment. This course provides a study of the strategic managerial aspects of marketing and covers topics that include basic marketing concepts as well as some of the tools and strategies used by marketing managers. Topics focus on product, price, promotion, and place in the ethical planning, implementing, and controlling of marketing operations. A strategic marketing plan project utilizing an organization of the associates' choice provides the opportunity for students to apply and demonstrate understanding of the concepts learned in the course to a real-world situation.
Charles W. Hodges, Ph.D.
Professor of Finance
University of West Georgia
mba8622@hotmail.com
678-839-4816
770-301-8648 (cell)
WMBA 6060 - Managerial Finance
This course is a study of financial risk and return, capital budgeting, valuation, capital structure, working capital management and current topics in financial management. It develops a student's knowledge, analytical skills and communication skills in the area of financial management. The course gives students tools to analyze a company's financial position relative to the industry, apply time value of money concepts to business cash flows, evaluate the acceptability of a short-term and long-term financial decision, and understand the relationship between capital structure, risk, and the cost of capital.
Kirk C. Heriot, Ph.D.
Associate Professor of Management
Crowley Endowed Chair of Entrepreneurship
Director of Graduate Business Programs
Turner College of Business
Columbus State University
heriot_kirk@columbusstate.edu
706-507-8078
WMBA 6070 - Entrepreneurship
Entrepreneurship is intended to expose graduate business students to both the spirit and mechanics of entrepreneurial and entrepreneurial thinking and action. The course takes the perspective of both the needs of the would-be entrepreneur as well as the manager of creative and entrepreneurial activity within established organizations. This course is also designed to offer insight for students seeking entrepreneurial careers in new or established businesses. It describes the new venture startup process and strategies for increasing the likelihood of successful venture launch. Topics covered include models of new venture formation, strategic resource acquisition and deployment, marketing, operations, and financial strategies for successful ventures, and the leadership skills and behaviors required for venture success. Participants will also learn how to write a business plan, and assess business plans written by others.
Bradley J. Prince, Ph.D.
Associate Professor, MIS
University of West Georgia
Richards College of Business
256-405-9864
WMBA 6080 - Management Information Systems
The Management Information Systems course is designed to provide a framework for understanding how technology can support or destroy everything from strategic decisions to operational actions. Course lectures, discussions, and application-oriented essay exams are used to develop the ability to incorporate academic theories into business practice. Business cases, current events, and personal experiences are discussed to help students learn to find points of success or failure based on the theories presented in class. Each student team investigates and records a video to present current research from top academic journals and trade publications to find any new research trends that have not made it into textbooks yet. By the end of the term, students have been exposed to more than 30 business cases and at least 10 current research publications with the intent of developing their ability to analyze situations in light of academic theories that have proven to foster IT success. The final project is an interview with their CIO (or equivalent) that helps students apply these skills in a very personal way to develop their own framework for IT decisions as they exit the course.
Gary B. Roberts, Ph.D.
Professor of Management & Entrepreneurship
Sam Walton Free Enterprise Fellow 1985-2011
Center for Excellence in Teaching E-Learning Fellow 2002-2005
Coles College of Business
Kennesaw State University
770-423-6078
Website
WMBA 6110 - Business Strategy
Strategic Management is designed to provide an executive viewpoint of strategy formation and management of an enterprise. Designed to be the final experience for WebMBA students, the course is an integrative capstone for the program. Students learn how to audit and analyze complex situations to determine the firm's strategies for long-run survival and growth in competitive markets. They also examine techniques for analysis of environmental conditions and trends, opportunities and threats, resource strengths and limitations. Case studies, discussions and a sophisticated strategy simulation constitute the primary content of the course. By the end of the course, participants will know how to plan, implement, and control organizational efficiency and effectiveness at both the strategic and operational level.